Thursday, March 13, 2008

When it comes to Jack and Kate, a lot of it seems obvious to me. From a fangirl perspective, I see this pairing introduced as kind of “The Couple” from the very first episode, with all of their subsequent interaction another stepping stone on the way to Total Jate Domination.

However, most of you probably know that when you’re a fangirl, your mind works a little differently. We often take to hyperanalyzing every aspect of OTP-dom, both within and surrounding the shows we love.

So tonight I want to talk about Jack and Kate without actually discussing Jack or Kate. I want to talk about promos and music videos and non-spoilery, non-plot-related comments from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Because maybe I’m just looking at this stuff a little too hard and with a little too much Jate bias (hello? were you here last week?), but the subtle Jate affinity that ABC and the Lost showrunners seem to have makes me giddy.

First, let’s talk about ABC in general. The Alphabet Network has been ramping up its creative promos in the last few weeks, trying to get people excited about the return of television. Lost features prominently into this marketing campaign (as do Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and the like), but whenever they show Lost, the promo dudes always use Jack, Kate, or Jack and Kate. From the ABC commercials, you’d think those two were the only cast members.

Here’s something you may have seen here before; it’s ABC’s back-from-strike promo that got me all teary the first time I saw it.

Let’s continue with the ABC promo theme for a moment.

That’s, like, all my feelings about Jack and Kate in one thirty-second promo. The fact that ABC made that specifically for “The Man From Tallahassee” speaks volumes. One, I think it lends credibility to the idea that most people who watch Lost—not just the ones who get online and use messages boards and read blogs—are compelled by the Jack/Kate storyline. I think it also says something about the forces behind Lost. I mean, let’s look at the key words in that promo: together, chance...”nothing in the world will keep them apart”?

I just scanned YouTube for comparable Skate promos (looking specifically toward “I Do”), but came up with nothing. Shocker.

Moving away from promos but staying with ABC’s clear Jate bias, let’s check out this ABC-crafted music video.

There are four of these videos: Locke, Kate, Sawyer, Jack. The Jack video, to “I’ve Got a Bad Case of Loving You,” is Jate. The Sawyer video, to “Bad to the Bone,” is Skate. Surprise, surprise. Kate’s, however, is entirely, entirely Jate.

A close-up of Jack’s face for “I’ve been careless with a delicate man.”

Jack’s sad face as he watches the cage!sex during the chorus.

Jack’s hands on Kate’s face for “...to the one I’ve sinned against...”

And the Jate kiss for “...because he’s all I ever knew of love.”

So, ABC music video department, are you telling me that Kate sleeping with Sawyer was a “sin,” for which she has to be redeemed?

I’ll take it.

Then you have some more subtleties. Damon Lindelof, executive producer of Lost and brilliant adorable little genius, seems to subconsciously (or perhaps consciously, who know with these dudes?) put Jack and Kate ahead of everyone else, including Sawyer.

For instance, when he was talking about the mobisodes several months ago, Lindelof told The Hollywood Reporter, “Nobody wanted to see two people sitting on a beach that we've never heard of talking and saying, 'Hey, did you hear what Jack and Kate did today?' You want to see Jack and Kate.” See? He could have picked any two characters, but he picked Jack and Kate. Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but...

There was another, more recent, quote in which Lindelof talked about the characters they were focusing on: “We've made a choice to focus on the characters that fans have loved since the beginning - Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Sayid and Hurley." Yes, he includes the other characters, BUT...he mentions the Jack and the Kate before everyone else. Perhaps because they’re the only (living) characters we’ve been told to love and trust since the pilot, which showed the first A-Mission of Jack, Kate, and Charlie heading for the cockpit.

So see how I told that whole story without showing anyone saying, “JACK + KATE = <3 <3 <3”? ‘Cause I did. Fangirlishness demands attention to detail, and I am nothing if not attentive.

By all means, I hope Skaters leave comments with links to comparatively shippy YouTube videos from Lindelof and the ABC crew, but I’m fairly confident they don’t exist. I’m more than willing to be proven wrong, though. I’ve gotten pretty good at it lately.

5 Responses to “Lost: You Don't Have to Hit Me Over the Head”

Oh, I really do have a lot to say to this -- I'd just like to gather my thoughts/quotes/vids etc first.

Though I'll start by saying I totally understand that ABC has been pushing Jate, and that it's very likely they're going to be the "end game," and that I agree that Kate loves Jack and thinks she's been "careless" with him.

I accept all that, and yet I still prefer Skate, and I have lots of evidence from Damon and Carlton (not to mention Evie) that they take that ship seriously and maybe even favor it over Jate sometimes! I promise you an explanatory post soon. I love civilized ship debates, haha :D

Caroline - will do! I'm planning a big Skate post in the near future. Think I might title it, "In Defense of My Ship," haha. But aww, I wish I could squee with you guys over something Lost related! I remember you love Desmond/Penny, right? That's something in common!

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